1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates to a binding mechanism for board-type gliding devices, in particular a snowboard binding, of the type specified in the introductory part of claim 1.
2. Prior art
Patent specifications WO 97/33664 A1 and WO 00/04964 A1 disclose a snowboard binding, whereby the base plate for supporting a user's foot can not be detached or removed from the retaining plate screwed to the snowboard except with the aid of tools. In particular, fastidious and awkward dismantling operations would have to be carried out on the snowboard binding in order to remove the base plate from the snowboard. With this design, therefore, the base plate is always mechanically connected to the circular retaining plate and snowboard. However, no provision is made for an end user or retailer of such bindings to effect a relative displacement between the retaining plate and the base plate in the vertical direction towards the top face of the snowboard. The slide elements which can be displaced radially with respect to the circular retaining plate act by means of their teeth in the outer mutually remote end portions solely as an anti-rotation lock for the base plate relative to the snowboard which can be activated and deactivated as and when required, and when the slide elements are in the extracted position, any rotating movement of the base plate relative to the central retaining plate is blocked. When the slide elements are in the retracted position, the angle of rotation of the base can be adjusted relative to the longitudinal axis of the snowboard. Although the angular position of the binding relative to the snowboard can be changed comfortably and without tools on the basis of this design, the base plate together with the components disposed on it can not be readily and rapidly removed or detached from the snowboard.
Patent specification FR 2 743 306 A1 also discloses a snowboard binding with a circular retaining plate designed to be rigidly connected to a snowboard, comprising two slide elements which can be displaced radially relative to its centre. When these slide elements are in a position extracted from the retaining plate, they act as an anti-rotation lock for the pivot bearing between the base plate and retaining plate. Disposed between the outer peripheral portion of the circular retaining plate and the peripheral portions around the co-operating orifice in the base plate are rigid overlaps or stable retaining flanges, which permanently prevent a relative displacement of the base plate in the direction perpendicular to the top face of the snowboard and in the direction perpendicular to the mounting plane of the binding mechanism. In the assembled state, the projections in the circumferential portion of the retaining plate and in the peripheral portion of the circular orifice in the base plate act as rigid overlaps or retaining lugs which establish a permanent lock preventing the base plate from being removed from the retaining plate. Again with this design, therefore, the base plate can not be detached or removed from the snowboard other than by completely unscrewing it and removing the retaining plate from the snowboard.
Patent specification EP 1 797 930 A1 proposes a design whereby the disc-shaped retaining mechanism for the base plate of a snowboard binding can be raised and lowered in the vertical direction with respect to the top face of a gliding board to permit and prevent a rotating movement of the base plate relative to the retaining mechanism. A retaining plate of this retaining mechanism is designed so that it can be positively coupled with pin-type projections on the top face of the gliding board and uncoupled from these pin-type projections in the vertical direction so that when the disc-shaped retaining mechanism and base plate are removed from the gliding board, only the pin-type projections remain on the gliding board. To this end, two comb-like or rake-like lock elements are provided in the retaining mechanism, which are able locate round the head of the pin-type projections either without any clearance, with a vertical clearance or can be uncoupled from the pin-type projections. Also proposed is an operating lever which enables the retaining plate to be raised from the base plate to a limited degree on assuming an intermediate position so that the position of angular rotation of the base plate can be adjusted relative to the retaining plate. In this intermediate position in which the retaining plate is loosened, the base plate is totally prevented from being removed from the gliding board. The disadvantage of this is that this design requires a large number of components with particularly low dimensional tolerances, which means that a binding mechanism of this type is complex to produce and cost-intensive. Furthermore, a person using or adjusting the binding mechanism can not easily tell whether the retaining plate is secured so that the base plate will be retained correctly. In particular, it is not possible to tell visually in what position the pin-type projections have located with the retaining plate and whether they have established a positive connection correctly. Assembling and dismantling the retaining plate and base plate require a high level of skill or some practical experience with binding mechanisms because the pin-type projections and the comb-like or rake-like lock elements are not visible from above. The ability of the retaining plate to lift vertically relative to the top face of the gliding board is also critical in view of the risk of ice or snow collecting underneath the retaining plate. Moreover, relatively tight dimensional tolerances are necessary when securing the pin-type projections on the top face of the gliding board body in order to establish a sufficiently strong and clearance-free connection between these pin-type projections and the retaining plate once the retaining plate and its operating lever are in the locked operating or operation-ready position.
The applicant's patent specification AT 411 016 B describes a snowboard binding which has what in plan view is a circular retaining plate for mounting on a snowboard for a base plate with a relatively large surface. Disposed on this retaining plate is at least one slide element which can be moved from an extracted position, in which it spans or overlaps a transition region between the retaining plate and the base plate, into a retracted position, in which the slide element does not span or overlap the transition region between the retaining plate and base plate, and vice versa. In the extracted position, the at least one slide element acts as a lock to prevent the base plate from lifting from the retaining plate in the vertical direction by reference to its mounting plane. When the at least one slide element is in the retracted position, the base plate can be lifted from the retaining plate and snowboard. In order to activate and deactivate the lock between the retaining plate and base plate to prevent lifting when necessary, a setting and fixing device is provided on the retaining plate, which can be operated without tools. The two operating modes of the setting and fixing device, in particular the active and inactive mode of the setting and fixing device, thus enable convenient fitting and dismantling or replacement of the base plate on the snowboard. In order to change the angle of rotation between the base plate and retaining plate, the base plate is lifted from the retaining plate at least slightly when the anti-lift lock is switched to the inactive mode so that the teeth between the retaining plate and base plate disengage and the base plate can then be re-set in the desired position of angular rotation. The user-friendliness and convenience achieved as a result is relatively high but is still not sufficiently satisfactory for all users and situations.